Insecticide and fungicide



Patented Dec. 7, 1937 mitts msecrrorpn AND rnneromn Robert A. Fulton and Willis, @ona'rd' Fern'ellus,

Columbus, Ohio, dedicated to the free use of the Public in the Territory of the United States of America NoDrawing. Application-May 25,193

Serial No. 144,610

(Granted under at act of March 3,1883, as

' amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 5 for the Government for governmental purposes 7 without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

We hereby dedicate the invention herein described to the free use of'the Public in the territory of the United States of America to take 10 effect upon the granting of the patent to us.

This invention relates to improvements in materials for destroying or checking the growth or multiplication of living organisms, whether plant man.

An object ofthe invention is to provide a material suitable for use as an insecticide and fungicide.

Another object of the invention is to provide amaterial which can be used in place of arsenicals for destroying insects without leaving a harmful residue on fruits and vegetables.

we have found that a sulfur compound made 5 by the reaction of. sulfur chlorides (preferably sulfur monochloride) and ammonia is effective in killing the larvae of the Mexican bean beetle; that this compound may be dusted or sprayed upon vegetation without injuring it; that this 30 compound is more toxic than calcium arsenate and thiodiphenylamine as shown by extensive laboratory tests.

The sulfur compound comprised in our inven- 35 tion is sulfur nitride. This compound is made by the reaction of sulfur monochloride and amor animal, which are economically injurious 'to monia under controlled conditions. The reaction is essentially as follows:

Sulfur nitride occurs as orange-red crystals melting at l78-180 centi'grade. It is insoluble 5 in water but soluble in a few organic solvents. The product of the above reaction may be reduced to suitable impalpable powder by grinding with a diluent such as talc or bentonite (1-1) This powder may be further diluted M V with a suitable carrier and applied as a dust or may be used directly in water as a spray. On account of the high specific gravity of the sulfur nitride, it is essential that the material be used with a suspension agent such as talc or ben- 15 tonite.

The relative valueof sulfur nitride as an insecticide in comparison with calcium arsenate, rotenone and thiodiphenylamine is shown by the following test:

1 In laboratory feeding tests with Mexican bean beetle larvae (Epz'lachnu. varivestis Muls.)

.sulfur nitride was one-third as toxic as purev rotenone and had twice the toxicity of calcium arsenate and thiodiphenylamina.

2. In laboratory tests at the dilution of 110,000 the material retarded the growth of common air spores (such as blue and red mold, Rhizopus nigrisans and Penicillium spJ.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: 80

A material for use in combatting economically harmful plant and animal organisms, containing sulfur nitride aszits essential active ingredient.

ROBERT A. FULTON. W. CONARD FERNELIUS. 

